Approach to the diagnosis of drug hypersensitivity reactions: similarities and differences between Europe and North America

Drug hypersensitivity reactions (DHRs) affect an unknown proportion of the general population, and are an important public health problem due to their potential to cause life-threatening anaphylaxis and rare severe cutaneous allergic reactions. DHR evaluations are frequently needed in both ambulatory and hospital settings and have a complex diagnosis that requires a detailed clinical history and other tests that may include in vitro tests and in vivo procedures such as skin tests and drug provocation tests. Although over the years both European and U.S. experts have published statements on general procedures for evaluating DHRs, a substantial discordance in their daily management exists. In this review, we highlight both the differences and the similarities between the European and U.S. perspectives. While a general consensus exists on the importance of skin tests for evaluating DHRs, concordance between Americans and Europeans exists solely regarding their use in immediate reactions and the fact that a confirmation of a presumptive diagnosis by drug provocation tests is often the only reliable way to establish a diagnosis. Finally, great heterogeneity exists in the application of in vitro tests, which require further study to be well validated.

Dynamic splinting after extensor tendon repair in zones V to VII

This retrospective study evaluates a dynamic active motion protocol for extensor tendon repairs in zones V to VII. Fifty-eight patients with 87 extensor tendon injuries were examined. Using Geldmacher's and Kleinert and Verdan's evaluation systems, the results were graded as "excellent" and "good" in more than 94%, and as "satisfactory" in the remainder. The need for secondary tenolysis was low (6%), and no other surgical complication occurred.

Serum IgG and IgG4 antibodies to Fel d 1 among children exposed to 20 microg Fel d 1 at home: relevance of a nonallergic modified Th2 response

Exposure to foreign antigens is an essential element of all immune responses, including allergic sensitization. For some allergens (e.g. mite and cockroach), the prevalence of sensitization is directly correlated with exposure. However, for allergens derived from domestic animals, several studies have suggested that children with a cat in the home have a decreased risk of sensitization and asthma. We have now shown that many children exposed to greater than 20 microg of Fel d 1/g of dust at home made an IgG and IgG4 antibody response to Fel d 1 without IgE antibody. This modified Th2 response is not associated with symptoms and should be regarded as a form of immunological tolerance. The fact that the dose-response relationship between cat exposure and sensitization is bell shaped, while that for mite exposure and sensitization is linear, is highly relevant to understanding the role of allergens in the increase in allergic disease.

[Washington regime after-care of flexor tendon injuries in zone 2]

The Washington-regimen for the rehabilitation of flexor tendon injuries (Chow et al., 1987) represents a combination of the established Kleinert-method and the controlled passive motion of Duran and Houser. This paper presents the results of a study which was carried out in 99 patients with 113 injured fingers treated in the Department of Burns, Plastic and Hand Surgery of the Accident Hospital Ludwigshafen. 55 patients with injuries of the fingers and 29 patients with injuries of the thumb were evaluated according to functional and subjective criteria and compared to a group of 15 patients treated by the Kleinert-method. The results showed that the Washington-regimen yielded an improvement of up to 27% of very good and good results in injured fingers compared to the Kleinert-method. The improvement of results in thumb injuries was 8%. The subjective estimation of the results by the patients corresponded generally with the functional outcome. In cases with additional laceration of digital nerves, the subjective evaluation of two thirds of the patients was significantly worse than the objective functional results.

Effects of N-ethylmaleimide treatment on the action potential Na+-ionophore of cultured neuroblastoma cells

Treatment of murine neuroblastoma N18 cells with N-ethylmaleimide under conditions that favor diminution of membrane potential leads to a 65% increase in the rate of veratridine-stimulated, tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ uptake and to a 50% decrease in the concentration of veratridine required for half-maximal stimulation. This modification does not appear to occur in N18 cells having a normal membrane potential of approx. -40 mV. The data are consistent with the involvement of a sulfhydryl group in the Na+ channel inactivation gate and in the conformational change in this gate which results in closing of the channel.